A cautionary tale of dealers

[sickpup]

Just thought I would relate a quick story of a dealer I have just spoken to this morning. I'm not going to name them as any one buying a bike should ask the same questions I did before even bothering to go and have a look.

I need another Deauville as a spare bike. Mine is now 16 years old and recently broke down, easily repaired but a 5 day wait for parts to turn up which if I had been at work would have been inconvenient.

I saw a bike on ebay, looked decent in the pictures but they can lie a thousand words so called the dealer this morning to discuss.
A helpful chap answered and I said I would be travelling a round trip of 400 miles to look at it so would prefer any bad news before I set off.
The bike had a mileage discrepancy of 10,000 miles, you can now check the previous MOTs online here which is a good starting point. As the bike wasn't in the show room the clocks couldn't be checked to see if it was a mistake or a crashed repaired bike.
There was no MOT on the bike. Considering the show room has its own MOT station this was a big red flag. For the £10 trade cost of an MOT there is no reason not to do one unless the bike has a problem.
Although the bike was being sold at a set price there was no warranty of any kind on it. As this is a legal obligation unless sold as unroadworthy, spares or repair then it needs one. As it was being sold as roadworthy in need of an MOT it required a warranty. In an attempt to get around this the dealer stated it was being sold through their auction company but it was still a set price and not an auction.

The dealer justified what they were doing by saying that if the bike had an MOT it would be sold for £750-£1000 more which is an odd thing to say when you have an MOT station and have just said the bike will pass fine. As it is the price was only £500-£750 off a good condition bike and the dealer had already stated that there was wide spread corrosion to the wheels and frame.

Always remember, a bike without an MOT is a lump of scrap metal so worth whatever you will pay for it. It is not a bike it is a collection of parts.

So before going to a dealer after seeing an ad on ebay check the present and previous MOT's and print them off. Ask about the warranty offered, do a check with someone like HPI on the vehicle and only then call them. There are so many 2nd hand bikes to choose from that you shouldn't get hooked on just one. Always be prepared to walk away before you have even looked at it.

[chickenstrip]

Otoh, my current Fazer was advertised by the dealer as immaculate (and who trusts that word in anybody's ad?), and although I only had to travel a bit over 30 miles to view it, I had to explain to the dealer that I had just recently broken my back, so didn't want to do any unnecessary miles, as it was still very uncomfortable. They assured me it was as advertised, and so I found it. Bit dearer than I would have liked to have paid, which was another reason I almost didn't bother, but it turned out to be worth it, for me anyway.

But yes, I grilled them over the phone about it before even going to look, and assumed nothing until I saw it with my own eyes.

I have bought nearly all my bikes from dealers through 30-odd years, and never once had a problem. Nearest I came was when I went to Leicester by train (from Oxfordshire) to view two bikes (same model). The one I chose, I found a fork seal leak on, and asked if they could replace that seal in time for me to ride the bike home that day. They said yes, and I went off for a wander and some lunch while they prepped the bike. Got back to find it had had a faulty damper rod, which they had also replaced by stealing one from the other bike in their showroom. I arrived back there in time to see three of them putting the finishing touches to get it ready, which they did with no complaints, even though it took them past closing time.

So not all encounters with dealers are horror stories. Maybe I'm saying this because I've worked at several. Seen good and bad, but mostly, in fairness, good.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[sickpup]

[chickenstrip]

[arry]

Good post, BTW

But:

[M.C]

It's been discussed many times on here, dealers not offering a warranty when they should, checking MOT history online etc. You can check if the bikes been written off or stolen for free, I always do before making enquiries.

[sickpup]

[Copycat73]

[stevo as b4]

I do agree to an extent with sickpup though on the notion that big city bikes are less looked after and more used if you like for the same mileage. They'll be stereotypically more scuffs scrapes and damage on a daily used Street parked city commuter and maybe more wear and tear from the operation patterns.

Its the same with cars though too, there ain't no way I'd buy a car that's been used for years in inner city London and been parked in all sorts of shit places and at the side of busy roads all its life.

As for the rest, well you get good and bad dealers everywhere, but anything I've ever looked at that's been sold as seen or not had an MOT was project status or a fixer upper, and either priced accordingly or if the dealer senses your keen to buy they are happy to negotiate on price. That's how in 99 I nearly bought a Hornet 600 that had a few scrapes and had corrosion on the engine paint and manky down pipes. At the right price it would still have been a good buy.

[c_dug]

Seemed like a pretty accurate round up of bike buying around London to honest. There have been very clear mileage and condition differences between bikes I've bought in or close to London compared to those bought further away.

My bikes are definitely a tool first and a toy second. Mechanically it's sound, but I've put nearly 15,000 miles on my Fazer since last April and cosmetically it's far from the shining example I bought!
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Feasty]

Fair few years ago now I was looking to buy a newer 125 that didn't constantly break down. I came across a small dealership that had 2 identical Honda XR125's, only slight difference was the mileage - one had about 5000 miles and the other 7000 miles.
I decided to pay the extra couple of hundred for the lower mileage bike, however when I turned up to pick it up I happened to check the service log and noticed the mileage didn't match the speedo.

Turns out the speedo must have been replaced at some point, the dealership acted surprised and said they hadn't noticed - I'm not sure I really believed them but I ended up buying the other bike so the service schedule matched the bike and made an easier sell on.

Loved that bike, it was slow but so dependable.
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[Commuter_Tim]